


I Think You Forgot (Deaf Lance)

by CreepyLittleLullaby



Series: Langst (Voltron Legendary Defender) [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Deaf, Deaf Character, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Langst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pining Keith (Voltron), Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 10:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12455514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreepyLittleLullaby/pseuds/CreepyLittleLullaby
Summary: He never thought one mistake as a kid would end up like this.





	I Think You Forgot (Deaf Lance)

            Lance never thought one stupid accident would change his life so dramatically, he never thought all it would take was one little mistake. One fall and he would lose something so important. Lance still remember everything before it. How loud the cars were in the street, how quiet the breeze was, how chilly it was. He wasn’t wearing a jacket. Yet, he couldn’t remember anything during it. The doctor’s said it was his brain protecting him from trauma. Lance called it his brain stealing even his last few painful moments of still being able to hear completely.

            Now the world was just so dim.

            It was flat with one of side of the sound. Muffled. It also made the world so much more terrifying. He constantly was looking over his right shoulder. It always felt like there was something there. The tingling in his ears was the worst. It was like static in the whole right side of his head. They said it was subconscious memories and trauma. Lance just called it annoying.

            He wanted to be normal.

            He wanted to be healed.

            He wanted to be treated like the rest.

            But it happened in front of the school. People in their small town had known him before the accident. And somehow that made it so much worse. They’d forget. Or they’d remember too much. Or they’d make Lance forget. Or make him remember too much. Sometimes. Lance thought not being born partially deaf was so much worse.

            Because then maybe he wouldn’t miss what he could never have again.

            Luckily, or maybe unluckily, (it was a pretty bad time in his life) everyone quickly learned to stop mentioning it when they didn’t have to. Learned to stop harassing him about it constantly. Two broken noses was a coincidence, six broken limbs of varying degree is a  trend. One that no one liked to talk about, and Lance was even less likely to bring up.

            His mother never blamed him.

            Maybe that hurt, maybe that didn’t. Maybe that felt too much like pity. Maybe it felt too much like an impossible understanding.

            Garrison was a blessing in comparison.

            As long as Lance kept people on his left and he always made sure he was loud and rambunctious, likable, but not someone most people would talk to. It was a blessing really. For once, Lance could be normal. Left the fuck alone.

            Well, at least until someone had to find out.

            Thank god it was Hunk though.

            You couldn’t really hide things from roommates.

            Though, Lance had to admit, someone knowing about it was a little nice. Hunk also was a good person. He both didn’t pity Lance, nor did he let Lance fall into any depths of self-pity. He also shielded Lance in quiet ways, always appearing on Lance’s left side before migrating quickly to Lance’s right side like a shield. Keeping a little bit a head of Lance so Lance could see him.

            It was even more of a blessing though when they were shot into space. And Lance was ninety percent sure he could have probably, accidently, nearly beat someone to death with how anxious and twitchy he was in such an unpredictable and unfamiliar environment. Hunk kept him grounded though, and helped him fit back into his usual role of unpredictable comic relief. No one even knew for the longest time. Coms helped. He switched his to his left ear, and no one questioned.

            Lance had never thanked being ambidextrous and able to fake being left hand and eye dominant ever in his life.

            Lance had to admit, it was kinda funny how his friends did eventually find out.

            Laughing loudly, Lance was goofing off with Hunk and Pidge in the hallway to the kitchen. It was one of his particularly bad days. When his whole right side tingled and everything felt like it was going to come out of nowhere, but Hunk was there… so Lance’ resisted the constant urge to look over his shoulder. Lance only indulged that instinct when he was alone or in a dangerous situation that it could be passed off as normal.

            So, when all of a sudden there was a tight grip sent shooting and tingling numbness through his whole arm and surprised him. Really it wasn’t his fault when his left arm shot up and decked whatever was on his bad side. Which just happened to be Keith. Shit. And there was already a dark bruise forming on Keith’s jaw… shit.

            Hunk was crying and apologizing nearly a hundred times. Pidge was only laughed harder, almost rolling on the floor as she laughed like a maniac. Lance was just pissed though, unreasonably so, but annoyance was always his first reaction when people did shit like that. It was honestly a little unhealthy and he knew it. Didn’t mean he didn’t do it.

            Though it had to be superficial damage because in barely a second Keith was up and grabbing Lance by the collar. “What the hell?! I’ve been asking you a question for five minutes already! Then when I try to actually get your attention you hit me? Did I do something?” Keith’s grip had loosened in the middle of his rant, as if he were starting to wonder if he didn’t anything wrong. It made Lance’s own anger deflate just a bit. Lance just giving out an irritated and huff and running a hand through his hair.

            “No, you’re fine. You just startled me.” Keith narrowed his eyes. Skeptical. It seemed though Pidge was one step ahead. Lance nearly jumped out of his skin as a ball of paper went sailing past his right peripheral vision. Keith had already moved. Seeing it. But Lance should have heard it, right? Pidge sent another one sailing past him before he whipped around to look at her accusingly.

            “Pidge! Cut that out!” Lance’s face was squished into an irritated scowl. Keith couldn’t help but to think it was almost cute. If anger could be cute.

            “I’m just surprised he hasn’t realized it yet.” Lance frowned.

            “What-? Wait, when did you?”

            “Before Hunk. You made it pretty obvious if you knew what to look for. I have a completely deaf uncle. He’d do the same thing. Not to mention, you’re not too subtle staring at everyone’s lips passes from flirty or whorish to suspicious after a while.” Wait, Lance stared at more people’s lips than just his?

            After a minute, it hit Keith head on.

            Lance was deaf.

            Keith had just startled him with what probably was his deaf ear.

            It made Keith pause and go over the entire conversation and circumstances before he got decked by Lance. The bruise throbbed while he thought and Keith couldn’t help but feel like he slightly deserved it. God, even without knowing it he’d been an asshole.

            Keith’s thoughts severed with an irritated sigh leaving Lance’s lips. “Of course, you knew. Of fucking course. That’s great. But god, stop throwing shit at me!” Pidge screeched in reply.

            “Not until you cool it with the sexual tension! Fuck already!” And because Pidge knew what was good for her. Grabbed her laptop and turned tail before Lance could compute what she’d said. Hunk following suite to make sure on the off chance Lance did run after her she’d have a running chance while Hunk tried to placate Lance. But Lance didn’t even try. Only heaved a dry chuckle.

            “What am I going to do with them?” And Lance turned to give him a sly grin that made his heart skip. “Wanna help me get some revenge? Or did you want to tell me what you were trying ask me?” Keith got his barings enough to answer him luckily.

            “I was asking if you wanted to fight the gladiator with me.” Lance gave another melting smile.

            “Sure. Sounds fun, let’s go.” And Lance was walking slightly ahead of Keith, Keith following like a lost puppy as a half assed idea starting forming in Keith’s mind. As Keith snuck over to the side where Pidge had been throwing her items and whispered.

            “I love you.” And nothing happened, Keith smiled. Safe. Except…

            “I love you too.” Keith stopped dead, but Lance kept walking, only looking over his left shoulder with a grin.

            “I think you forgot I’m deaf mostly in my right ear mullet man. Now, are we going now or what?” Lance’s hand was open, palm up to Keith.

            Keith would have been an idiot to not take it.


End file.
